Bangladesh satisfied with Zimbabwe series but checking reality

Next month, ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will take place in the United States and West Indies. Before that, there are three T20I matches for the tigers against the opposition welcoming in the United States. The recently concluded series of five T20I matches at home was also part of the preparation.

Despite winning the series against Zimbabwe by a margin of 4-1, satisfaction with performance is not guaranteed. Especially, concerns have been raised about the form of the batters. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hasn't been pleased with the batting either.

However, in the post-series press conference, Shanto stated,

"I feel very good about the series. Winning the series definitely boosts our confidence. It will speak volumes of the places where we had examinations, the things we needed to see... We won close matches. Top order brought a good start in one match. Today, we got the opportunity to bat in the middle order. Rishad has bowled well throughout the series. There are many encouraging aspects. We have almost achieved what we were hoping for."

Shanto mentioned that the spinners' performance was satisfactory. Although the batters showed glimpses of success in bits and pieces, the skipper didn't ignore the room for improvement.

Shanto said, "The spinners bowled very well. Rishad did well. Shak Mahedi also did well. He was preserved in the middle, and Tanvir played two matches, which he did well in. These things were good. Jaker's innings today and the innings in the middle... there are quite a few areas where we have come close. However, there is certainly room for improvement. The players are confident. Throughout the series, wicket-batting partnerships were not consistent. The batters have tried to perform within that."

"It would be better if we can bat well in the top order. Momentum is crucial. However, I'm not too worried about where I played in the wickets."

Although Bangladesh didn't have a convincing performance in the first four matches, they managed to see victories. However, they couldn't secure a win in the final match. The failures of Brian Bennett and Sikandar Raza in batting don't worry Shanto.

He said, "I don't feel that way. The runs scored on this wicket were sufficient. Raja and Bennett batted superbly, they were not given any opportunity. They deserve credit."

"We were serious in every match. We didn't want to lose a single match, nor did we need to lose. Winning matches feels good. We couldn't win today, but we need to give credit to Zimbabwe. They played good cricket."